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WDK Watch: “I Am Impacted by the Peace of Mind That I Get Here”

Peter M. theBeijinger 2019-12-09

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Welcome to Wudaokou Watch, where we profile a different west end dwelling expat each week to hear about their life in China's capital. You can read the whole series here:


My name is Abraham Williams, and I’m from the United States of America.

I came to Beijing to explore the beauty of Chinese culture and teach English. China is a super good country and I wanted to have a feel of it.

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Life is a little different for me here because of the language and the location. There's so much to learn. China is different from the USA because I’m surrounded by a total population of over 1 billion Chinese people so that on it of itself is a new thing for me to embrace.

The biggest challenges for me here are learning more of the language and maintaining employment. Also, I'm not a spicy food eater, so I have to find places that suit my taste. Thankfully Beijing offers many types of cuisine such as Spanish, Asian, and Italian. The language barrier plays a role of its own too.

Sanlitun and Gaomao are some of my favorite Beijing hangouts. Sanlitun gives you a chance to see different people from all over the world. It reminds me of New York. This is where I visit in my free time, meet new friends and have fun.

I love how Beijing is so big, with so many places to visit. I like that this is a clean city that is full of greenery. I also enjoy the weather, for the most part. Now I personally think that as an American, China opens my mind to see things from a different lens than if I was in the USA, and allows me to see the practices and traditions of Chinese culture – I like this too. This gives me the chance to see the differences between us. I enjoy the weather here but it gets too cold. Luckily, I’m a New Yorker so I can manage ok. I also like the produce here; I can get fresh watermelon and bananas all year around.

My most memorable Beijing experience is working with my students. I am so passionate about the work we get done in the classroom.

I am impacted by the peace of mind that I receive here in Beijing. Beijing has allowed me to see and learn things in a way that is contrary to the way I saw things in the West. For example, I see people more devoted to their work and education here compared to back in the States. Pride seems more vibrant, which reminds me of how I saw the West in the past.

Beijing has given me more experience and made me more of a cognitive teacher. I make sure my students get what they need and I am inspired to contribute as a teacher here in Beijing. Currently, I’m teaching AP world and American history. I hope to one day have a small business of some kind here that would allow me to stay longer.

READ: Capturing Ziggy Stardust: Man Behind David Bowie’s Most Iconic Images Opens Exhibition


Photo: courtesy of Abraham Williams


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